Lawsuit Seeks to Prevent City From Closing Urban Camp for Homeless

An attorney for homeless people at Los Angeles’ temporary “urban campground,” filed suit Monday to prevent the eviction of residents after the camp’s scheduled closing Aug. 10.

Surrounded by several dozen homeless, attorney James Davis said at a press conference at Los Angeles Superior Court that he filed the suit because city officials have not identified an alternative shelter.

As of Monday, 566 people--including an estimated 60 children--were living at the downtown campground on South Santa Fe Avenue.

“There’s really no place for them to go,” said Davis, who filed the suit against the city, county and state on behalf of 25 camp residents. “It would be a disaster to put them back out on the street.”

He said he will seek a temporary restraining order in Superior Court today to keep the campground open.

The city has been operating the campground since June 15 on land leased from the Southern California Rapid Transit District, which plans to build a Metro Rail yard and shop there.

RTD General Manager John Dyer said in a statement that the lawsuit is premature. But the RTD may “suggest postponement of closing the camp for a week or two,” he said, after developments that may take place in court today.

Deputy Mayor Grace Davis said, however, that the city has not asked the RTD for an extension. “We are working vigorously trying to have an alternative” shelter, she said. “We are looking at at least a half-dozen sites.”

The city recently announced purchase of 67 mobile homes for use by homeless families at undetermined locations.

In addition to seeking to block any evictions, the suit asks that the city, county and state be ordered to provide the homeless with “shelter and assistance to minimal acceptable standards.”

James Davis said the homeless plaintiffs seek “to have a determination of the financial responsibility, to see who is to take care of this problem.”

Last week the city filed suit against the county alleging that county officials have failed to meet their responsibilities under state law to help indigent people. The county in turn said the city is responsible for its homeless residents and announced plans to file a countersuit.

Commenting on Monday’s suit, Deputy City Atty. Lewis Gutierrez said that before entering the site, campground residents signed waivers notifying them that the camp was temporary.